Civil War and local history fans will gather at the Pember Library and Museum Oct. 23 as historian Stephen Muller presents a program on the famous ship U.S.S Monitor. The program is expected to run about one hour and begins at 2 p.m. in the main room of the library.

As part of the region’s commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War the library will be presenting a program on the revolutionary Union Civil War ironclad ship the USS Monitor.

The Monitor fought the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia on March 9, 1862, in the world’s first battle between armored warships.

Steve Muller, an expert on the Monitor from Troy, will give an illustrated lecture on the Monitor. Muller’s lecture will cover the design and construction challenges in building the warship, its actual performance and its influence on the design of other ironclads during the Civil War.

Muller’s book “Troy, New York, and the Building of the USS Monitor” will be for sale afterward. The book was published by the Hudson Mohawk Industrial Gateway and has limited availability.

Librarian Ardyce Bresett said she heard about the chance to get Muller to Granville and got on the computer right away. The program has already piqued the interest of local history enthusiasts.

Bresett said she expects a big crowd and recommends arriving a little early for the program. The room holds about 75 people including standing room. “I think it’s something people will find interesting, for sure,” Bresett said.